1. Field of the Invention
The invention generally relates to fire hoses, and in particular it relates to a system and method for quickly deploying internally stored fire hoses to selected floors of a high-rise commercial or residential building.
2. Description of the Related Art
People around the world watched in shock and horror as the tragic events of Sep. 11, 2001 in America unfolded before their eyes. As the World Trade Center towers collapsed into massive piles of rubble and human suffering, the citizens of an entire nation were turned numb by the overwhelming depth and range of their emotions. Any American old enough to understand the significance of those murderous terrorist attacks felt, among other emotions, disbelief, anger, fear, hate and pity. While unsuspecting thousands were brutally and senselessly killed that fateful day, one particular group of individuals suffered grave losses by choice. Hundreds of firefighters rushed headlong into the blazing towers, fully aware of the possible consequences of their bravery, and paid the ultimate price. This bravery sharpened the public's recognition of, and appreciation for, the heroic and selfless work performed by firefighters every day. The attacks taught us many other lessons as well, including the reality that occupants of high-rise buildings are especially vulnerable to fire-related disasters, whether they result from terrorism or other causes. Well-equipped firefighters are the best defense against the ravages of fire-related crises.
However, firefighters currently face a particularly acute difficulty when responding to incidents in high-rise buildings. Conventional ladder trucks cannot come close to delivering hoses and water to the upper stories of extremely tall buildings. Consequently, firefighters have no choice to pull fire hoses from their trucks or inside the building up and down staircases and around corners. This task is especially challenging since the amount of time that is needed to effectively combat fires often determines the extent of the subsequent human toll and property damage. Hence, there is a pressing need for a system that quickly deploys several water-filled fire hoses to selected floors of a high-rise building upon activation and stores the hoses under the building upon deactivation.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,006,948 to Kessinger (“Kessinger”) teaches a fire hose cabinet that can be mounted on or in a wall with a fire hose wound on a spool therein. However, the fire hose cabinet of Kessinger would not expedite the task of fighting a fire on an upper floor of a high-rise building in any way.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,429,931 to Brooks (“Brooks”) discloses a container adapted to be secured to a wall of a bathroom vanity that has a fire hose stored therein. However, the container of Brooks is primarily designed for cosmetic purposes and of minimal utility to firefighters when responding to an emergency.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,519,657 to Jensen (“Jensen”) teaches a service unit comprising a hollow body within which power distribution means, power metering means, lighting means, water equipment and telephone equipment can be mounted. However, the service unit of Jensen is impractical since its electrical components could well be severely damaged when a fire hose is in use.
While these devices may be suitable for the particular purposes employed, or for general use, they would not be as suitable for the purposes of the present invention as disclosed hereafter.